The Natural Building Companion[1] is a compendium of methods for earth-based construction ranging from straw bale to cob and applicable to a wide range of climates.

To put this encyclopedic book together, we partnered with Yestermorrow Design/Build School[2], fellow Vermonters from the Mad River valley. Authors Jacob Deva Racusin and Ace McArleton are frequent instructors at Yestermorrow, and also run New Frameworks Natural Building.

The book alone is packed with information on how to use traditional tools and low-technology materials to build energy-efficient and beautiful homes, but as an added bonus it also includes an instructional DVD that is cross-referenced with the text to help you learn from Racusin and McArleton’s examples as well.

Below you will find a handful of clips from the DVD to give you a sense of what it contains, and examples of the authors’ passion and skill at teaching these low-energy building techniques.

How to Evaluate Airtightness in a Natural Building Using a Blower Door Test – From Chapter 7

Timber Framing Techniques – From Chapter 13

How to Work with Straw Bales: Resizing, Reshaping, and Securing Bales – From Chapter 14

How to do a ‘Ribbon Test’ to Evaluate Site Soil for Natural Building – From Chapter 17